Doxie Go + Wi-Fi: Tiny Scanner with a Powerful Punch

When we spotted the Doxie Go + Wi-Fi at Macworld 2012 we knew we had to give it a try for ourselves. Having a scanner, especially one that will scan to the iPad, is very useful, but not everyone, especially us apartment dwellers, has space for a flatbed scanner. The small profile of the Doxie Go and the versatility offered with the addition of Wi-Fi made it a product that we could hardly wait to put through its paces...

Much lighter than I remembered, the Doxie Go + Wi-Fi has a slim design with a built-in battery, making it the perfect scanner for those who need one while they travel. The unit charges via USB and, when not using the Wi-Fi feature, can scan about 100 pages without needing to be re-charged. The device also has a built-in memory, which makes scanning multiple receipts in one location before uploading at another a snap.

Initial setup took slightly longer than anticipated, as the device needed to be charged before it could be used. The setup of the scanner and the setup of the Wi-Fi component, which is done via Eye-Fi, are two separate processes, and it's good to go through the Doxie setup first before tackling the Eye-Fi. Setting up the scanner on both my Mac and PC was a snap, and i only ran into issues when I did not let the scanner charge long enough and tackled the Eye-Fi component first.

I cannot stress enough the importance of making sure the scanner is fully charged and following the setup instructions to the letter! Once I had a fully charged scanner and the Eye-Fi card set up correctly, the device worked like a dream. While you may be like me and love figuring things out on your own sans instructions, the Eye-Fi card is very particular with how it's set up, and it will make your life much easier to follow the instructions. I'd also advise that, if you're like me and do most of your scanning on specific wireless networks, you set the device up on those networks and do not allow it to create its own. Once I disengaged the card from creating its own network I was able to send scans to my iOS devices without issue.

The software makes it very easy to configure your scanner and select where you want your scans to go. In addition to saving locally on your computer, you can also select to have scans go directly to Evernote, Flickr, or the cloud. We particularly like the ability to scan to Evernote as it really helps us to stay organized when it comes to receipts. Having this scanner in our household is going to make tax time 2012 so much easier since we don't really have an excuse anymore for floating and lost receipts.

Once the device and software have been set up, scanning is very very easy. You literally just feed the paper and the scanner picks it up and scans while feeding it through. I've tested it on both computer and iOS devices and it has worked like a charm, regardless of where it is scanning to. In addition to having it import receipts to Evernote, I've also really enjoyed scanning in images to work with on my iPad, since my graphic tablet kicked the bucket. It's quite impressive how the scans just pop into my iPad and the product delivers exactly what it set out to.

Bottom Line: While I wish that the wireless component was built into the scanner, which would make set-up much easier, I recommend the product despite having to use the Eye-Fi card. It's a great product and the perfect solution for organizing receipts, scanning the occasional photo, and for those who want to scan to an iOS device.

Pros: Excellent overall performance, good looking simple design, when coupled with the Eye-Fi apps will scan to iOS devices, perfect for occasional scanning. Cons: Eye-Fi setup can be a bit tricky, requires a long charge before first use, no option to scan while plugged in.

Our Ratings:Strong RecommendRecommend*Weak RecommendDon't Recommend

Full Disclosure Notice: Apartment Therapy Media makes every effort to test and review products fairly and transparently. The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf. However, the manufacturer did give us the product for testing and review purposes. Our full notice is here.